"Yes we can!"

Our new president has asked us to give back to our community, to volunteer and help one another in any way we can. We had our first meeting for the Scripps Ranch Elder Care Alliance last night. More that 30 people came to my house to talk about this important subject. I brought out the kitchen, dining room and folding chairs. People were sitting on the floor and on the stairs. We went around the room and introduced ourselves and told why we wanted to help launch this initiative. We had spirited discussions about transportation, in home services, community resources and how to go about building our coalition. We set up a volunteer committee as all agreed this is the place to start. Our next meeting is Thursday February 26, 2009. Yes we can!

Aging in place in Scripps Ranch

I am fielding daily calls from volunteers wishing to join the Elder Care Alliance here in Scripps Ranch. Just as I suspected this is an unmet need which once posted is bring out both care providers and elders wishing to know how to access in home services. I have identified transportation, in home care services and home safety issues as top priorities. We will need a census of the number of elders in our community of 32,000. It is exciting and I can't wait to get started.

Dancing With Doris

I love my clients dearly. Yesterday I met with Doris (name changed to protect confidentiality) a 89 year old with some memory impairment. Doris was telling me about the New Year's Eve party she attended at her retirement community. She lamented the lack of dancing partners. "When I was a girl I went to an all girl's school and we thought nothing of dancing with each other. At this party they had a lovely big band yet all the women sat around and only the couples danced." So right then I jumped up and grabbed her hands and we spontaneously started to dance. She was humming the Charleston and showed me a couple of moves. We danced together on the tile floor of the kitchen for a couple of beautiful minutes.
How great is that? From now on I will incorporate dancing with Doris into every home visit we have.

movie looks at aging through unique lense

Just returned for seeing the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What a life affirming movie. This movie radiates love and honors the elderly no matter how old they are!! This is key to the plot which is about a boy who is born old and as he grows he ages in reverse. Love is presnt throughout the movie, love between Benjamin and his adopted mother who runs an "old folks" home. Love between the elders living in the home and Benjamin, who grows up loving and losing those very residents. Caring is another huge part of the story. Being cared for, later taking careof and once more needing care. One funny line said is" We all begin and end in diapers". Please go see this movie and enjoy those you love at any age.

elderly coupled committed murder/suicide

I am so sad to read this story in today's UT. A 90 year old man shot and killed his 88 year old wife them killed himself. Apparantly he decided they had both reached the end of their "productive' lives. No note was found and no surviving family members were listed. So many questions come to mind. What was their health status? Did the wife have Alzheimer's disease? Perhaps their home was being forclosed. One thing for sure, He was feeling helpless and hopeless about their situation. What can our community do to reach out to aging people in dire straights? Please write and share your thoughts.
Kathy R

Age @ Home on Internetvoicesradio.com

Last night I had my 15 minutes of fame on internetvoicesradio.com I used a prepared script but quickly deviated in order to respond to Lillian Cauldwell, the moderator's questions. I love answering questions, something I do as a big part of my job, and Lillian asked questions in order to learn what a care manager is and also general questions about aging. Quickly, I own Age @ Home Elder Care Management a company that provides licensed experts and reliable resources to elders facing physical and cognitive challenges. One common question is does Medicare pay for care management? No Medicare does not pay for ongoing care management nor caregivers. Medicare is reserved for acute short term health issues and hospitalization. Care management is a fee for service just like your attorney. Another common question is what is a durable power of attorney? DPOA is for healthcare and or finances and is a legal document that names a person to act on your behalf when you are incapacitated, usually a spouse or adult child. If anybody out there would like to ask other questions about this field please post a comment.

Happy New Year from Age @ Home Elder Care Management

Happy New Year. I have been under the weather this holiday season but feeling much better now. 2009 is poised to be a fantastic year. My work at the Center for Memory and Aging starts immediately ( my Medicare status is now good). I just started 2 new cases with my company Age @ Home Elder Care Management, and my dear hubby Gary surprised me with a getaway weekend to Cabo San Lucas as a Christmas present. All these good things have come to me by virtue of hardwork and being open to receiving from the universe. Tonight at 7:00pm I have a 15 minute time slot on http://internetvoicesradio.com I will be talking about Age @ Home Elder Care Management. My best to everyone out there in bloggerland.
Kathy R